Door-actuating spring



Jan. 10, 1928. l 655 685 yo. B. ARNTZEN DOOR ACTUATING SPRING 9 Ole B. Arntz en A TTORNE Y.

1,655,685 O. B. ARNTZEN DOOR ACTUATING SPRING Filed Jan, 30, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 7

Jan. 10, 19.28.

1 l' f @57 mmmmmm! INVENTOR. Ole B. AF/zzzen BY FIG. 6

ATTORNEY, 1

Patented Jan. 10., 1928. i

'j otr. n. ARNTZEN, or WIeHrrA, KANSAS. l

DOGR-ACTUATING SPRING.

Application lledllanuary 30, 1925. Serial No. 5,786.

My invention relates to door actuating springs. i y

The object of my invention is to construct a spring that will tension to close or hold open adoor. i

A further object of my inventionis to provide a spring with ay simple and eifective disengaging means.

A still further object of my invention to provide a spring that is continuously in tension, regardless of the disengaging fea.- ture.

These and other objects will behereinafter more fully explained.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a top view of a refrigerator door withy a fragmentary part of the refrigerator wall being in section. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the door opened and being held open, under said tensioning means. F1g. 3 is a similar view showing the door closed with the spring tensioning means disengaged. Fig. 4 is ab view showing the door being free to swing under theV disengaging feature of the spring Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged detail views of the door showing the spring and hinges in operative position, relative to each other. Fig? is an enlarged detail view of the barrelk of the spring, parts removed for convenience of illustration.

In illustrating my invention, I have pref erably used the construction of a refrigerator. 1 is the walls of the refrigerator. 2 is the door. 8 is a plate having arm bearings 4 laterally extending therefrom, functioning as a hinge for a connecting arm said arm being rigidly attached to a tube 6. Slidably engaging in said tube is a shaft 7. 8 is a plate having a hinge member 9 to which is pivotally connected alink 10, and the said link being connected to said shaft as at 11, the said members functioning as a toggle joint. 12 is a bushing attached to the end of the tube 6 by means of threads, and through said bushing is an aperture adapted to receive the shaft 7, so that said shaft will slide freely therein. On the opposite end of the said tube is a bushing 13,

and the said bushing having an aperturer threaded to receive a tubular tensioning means 14, the same being threaded, and functioning as a resisting means for a recoil spring 15, which is placed around said shaft 7, the said spring engaging between washers 16 and 16', the said washer 16 being held in position to said shaft 7 by means of a pin 17, the washer 16 on the opposite end of said shaft is slidably mounted thereon, the said washer being seated on the end of tensioning means 14. When the spring is properly tensioned for action, I have provided a` lock nut 18, functioning as binding means for the position of the tensioning means. It will be understood that the'said tensioning means has an aperture 19 drilled longitudinally therethrough as means to allow for the reciprocation of shaft 7 during the engagement ofthe mechanism whenv in action. 2O are the hinges employed for hanging the door, and .in Fig. 1 is shown their axial relation with the hinge of the door actuating spring at arm bearings 4. When the toggle joint is engaging on the plate 8 as at A, the position required for closing the door has passed the axis line B, and when swung past said axis, the same tensioning means will hold the door open, or cause it to travel in the opposite direction. When the toggle is disengaged as shown in Fig. 3, the door is free to swing without tension, owing to the free swing of the link 10 as shown by dotted lines C. If it .is desired to open the door and have it remain so, and being free to swing without tension, it is accomplished by taking` hold of the shaft at D, drawing it outward to the position as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and likewise when closing, but pressing the toggle joint to engagement as shown in Fig. 1, tension is maintained.

I do not confinev the mechanism to heapplied to refrigerator doors only, but it may be applied to other kinds of doors and for other purposes. f

Such modifications may be employed as lie within the scope ofthe appended claims, and having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: f

1. In Vdoor actuating springs, in combination with av hinged door` an arm bearing functioning as a hinge the axis of which extends outward and rearward from the axis of the door hinge, a tube hingedly connected with the said arm bearing, a recoil spring in the tube and an apertured tensioning means for the spring, said means threadedly engaging in the end of the tube adjacent the arm bearing sha-ft axiall f ositioned and slidably engaging in the tube, spring and the aperture of the tensioning means, a stop rigid on the shaft as a bearing for the spring, and a stop on the end of the apertured tensioning means as a rigid bearing for the opposite end of the spring, a link pivotally connecting the shaft to the door, the link to function as engaging means for the sp1-ing when the dooi` is being closed, and disengaging means when rocked outward by the shaft as the door is being opened.

2. In door actuating springs, in combination with a hinged door and the Wall to which the door is hinged, a shaft and a tube, a Coil spring in tbe tube, the shaft axially positioned in the tube and spring and slid-A ably engaging therein, the shaft tensioned by the spring, a link pivotally Connecting the shaft to the door to disengage the tension of the spring when the door is 'being opened by the shaft, an arm bearing positioned on the Wall to hingedly engage with the end of the tube, the axis of said bearing being ieai- Ward and outward of the axis of the dooi` hinge so that when said (lool` is swung outward of the axis alignment of said bearing and hinge, the tendency of said spring will be to Continue tbe swing of the door 1n the saine direction when the link is rocked rear Ward against the door, all substantially as described.

` OLE B. ARNTZEN. 

